Device for cleaning oil-wells



(No Model.)

W. C. EDWARDS. DEVICE FOR CLEANING .OIL WELLS. No 598 Zilli! 'mononmsversus cn. mom-Uma, WASHINGTON. u c.

PATENT s Critics.

WILLIAM C. EDWARDS, OF MANNINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.`

DEVICE `FORCILEANINGOIL-WELLS.

SPECIFICATIONformIIg part of Letters Patent No. 598,700, datedFebruary`8, 1898.

Application liled August l1, 1896. Renewed December 30, 1897. Serial No.664,748. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. EDWARDs, of Mannington, in the county ofMarion and State of West Virginia, haveV invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Devices for Cleaning Oil-Wells.; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form `part of thisspeciiication.

This invention relates to devicesfor cleaning oil-wells 5 and itsprimary object is to provide an apparatus of` simple and improved formfor loosening and elevating paraiiin deposits in well-casings. i

The invention contemplates the construction of such an improved deviceas will be adapted for cleaning wells from bottom to top in which two ormore sizes of casing occur.

The invention also includes a swab of simple and improved form.V

The invention consists in the novel features of constructionhereinafterfully described and claimed, and illustrated by theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical sectional viewof a well provided with two sizes of casings, the

cleaning device being shown in the larger or upper casing-section. Fig.2 is a similar View showing the cleaner at the junction of the` twosizes of casings, the lower portion of .the cleaning device shown asdisconnecting au` tomatically fromthe upper portion. Fig. 3` is stillanother vertical section showing the parts of the cleaning deviceseparated `and in operative position in the respective casingsections. Y

In deep oil-wells `it frequently occurs that the lower part or sectionof the casing is of smaller diameter than the upper part, andin someinstances the casings maybe` graded into a greater number of sizeswhere. wells are very deep.

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention a section of awell is shownprovidedwith only two sizes of casings, A repfy `thedrilling-tool.

resenting the upper or larger section, and B the lower or smallersection. The bellmouthed collar B at the upper end of the casing Bunites or splices the casing-sections, as shown. The cleaning device,which is adapted to remove paraffin deposits fromboth sections,.consistsof parts of a drilling-tool C, having the elongated hollow stern D,provided adjacent its upper end with outlet D'- The lower enlargedportion of the stem is formed with opposite Vertical elongateddepressions E, in the upper ends of which are pivoted depending `catchesF, and the lower operating ends of these catches are held normallysprung outward by springs F. The lower extremities F of the catchesarerounded outwardly slightly for the purpose presently to be explained.

` Encirclinghollow stem D is a tube G, and secured to its lower end isthe depending collar l-I. The interior of the lower extremity ofthiscollar is formed with annular shoulder H', which is adapted to beengaged by `catches F automatically when the parts, are

in proper relative position, and by this means the tube G is heldito thehollow stem D and caused to move in unison with `the parts ofConsiderable of `tube G is inclosed or incased` by a packing material I,such as rubber, the lower end of the same `abutting the upperend ofcollar I-I, while nut J, which is adapt-ed to move on the outer -thatthe packing material will be expanded, `and thus it will be caused to tas tightly as desired in the` well-casing.

Tube G, collar H, packing I, and ring J constitute the swab for theupper or larger casing-section A. Catches F serve to unite thel upperswab with the operating-tool, so as to carry the same to the lower end`of the larger casing-section. Otherwise, `as the swab ts tightly withinthe casing, it would stick fast and the operating `tool would simplymovedownward inthe cas ing through it.

The swabor cleaning device for the lower .or smaller casing-section issecured permanently to operating-stem D, the same consisting oftube-section K, screwed into the lower end of the hollow stem, the tubebeing incased by the rubber or other packing L, which abuts the lowerend of the stem,while nut M, movablel on the screw-threaded exterior ofthe casing, clamps the packing in place and governs the expansionthereof, as described of the packing for the upper swab. At the lowerend of tube K is coupling N, which unites thereto pipe-section O, inwhich is placed the upwardly-opening check-valve P.

A collar Q is loose upon but encircles the` lower extremity of hollowstem D, said collar being of about the same diameter as collar H, so asto move freely through the larger portion of the well-casing.Inoperation the several parts are united and lowered in the well, theirposition being as shown in Fig. l. When bell-mouthed collar B', however,is reached by the cleaning device, the lower swab portion is ofsufficiently small diameter to pass freely therethrough, but collar Q isengaged thereby and stopped, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the continueddownward movement of the device forces the lower end F" of catches Fdownward against the inner beveled surface Q' of collar Q, thus forcingsaid catches inward and causing them to release their hold upon collar Hof the upper swab.

The upper swab is thus released from the tool and operating-stem at thelower portion of the larger casing-section, while the lower swab is freeto descend as far as desired in the lower casing-section.

The packing material of the swab is sprung orbulged sufliciently bypressure of nuts J and M, respectively', to cause them to iit tightlythe respective casing-sections, so as to disengage the paraffin depositsfrom the casing, and this deposit will be forced upward along with theoil through check-valve P and the hollow stem, through which it cannotreturn when the device is moved upward, and thus the objectionabledeposit is effectually removed, having first been thoroughly loosened bythe swab.

Owing to the peculiar nature and arrangement of the swab-packing thesame is adapted i to yield to the uneven contour of the casing withoutbeing wornthereby. When an unevenness is passed, theswab simply expandsand fills the casing completely,as before,with out any perceptibleinjury thereto. Devices for this purpose now in general use are rigidtransversely and not so constructed as to yield radially, as justdescribed. On this account the devices just described are exceedinglyobjectionable, for it not infrequently occurs that by the time a swab ofthat class has been lowered in a well-casing it has become so worn andindented by the `dents and obstructions in the casing as to have lostits usefulness in raising the liquid loaded with the loosened parafin,as well as having bev come worthless for even an effective repetition ofthe downward cleaning movement.

Where more than two sizes of casings are used in a well, the number ofswabs or cleaning devices may be increased or multiplied by simplycoupling them together in succession in the manner shown of the devicehere illustrated, the largest cleaner always being at the top of theseries, and the devices grading downward in diameter to the lowermostsection, which kis secured to the hollow stem. In such case it will ofcourse be necessary to increase the length of the hollow stem toaccommodate the number of cleaning devices employed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y A l. An improved device forcleaning wellcasings made up of casing-sections of differ.

ent diameters, comprising a stem, a cleaner for the lower casing-sectioncarried by the lower end of the stem, a cleaner for the uppercasing-section through which the stem is adapted to pass freely, devicesfor securing the upper cleaner to the stem, and a releasing mechanismadapted-t0 lodge at the upper end of the lower and smallercasing-section and when thus stopped being adapted to disengage theupper cleaning device from the hollow stem, substantially as shown anddescribed. Y l

2. The combination of the longitudinallyhollow stem open at its upperend, the cleaner for the lowercasing-section secured to the lower end ofthe stem, the upwardly-opening check-valve at the base of the saidcleaner, the cleaner for the upper casing-section through which the stemis adapted to move freely, catches carried by thestem and normallyprojected outward so as to engage the upper cleaner and secure it to thestem, and the collar carried by the lower extremity of the stemimmediately beneath the upper cleaner, whereby when the device islowered in the well made up of casing-sections of different diameters,said collar when engaging the upper end of the lower section will beheld from downward movement, and the continued downward movement of thedevice will cause the said catches to engage the collar and disengagetheir hold upon the upper cleaner, substantially as shown and describedf3. The combination of the stem, the lower cleaner carried thereby, theupper cleaner through which the stem is adapted to move freely, thecollar H constituting the lower portion of the upper cleaner andprovided with the internal shoulder H', catches G pivoted to the stemand heldnormally in an outwardly-sprung position and in engagement withthe shoulder H', said catches depending beneath collar H and shoulderH', ring Q IOO carried by the lower portion of the stem and uppercleaner, substantially as shown and de- Io beveled upon its innersurface, whereby when scribed.

the device is inserted in a well and the said In jtestimony whereof Iaffix my signature ring lodged upon the upper end of the lower inpresence of two witnesses.

and smaller easing" -seetion the continued downward movement of thedevice will cause Y WYILLIAM C' EDVARDS the' catches to be moved inwardowing,` to Witnesses: their engagement with the beveled surface of C. F.RIGBY,

the collar and thus be disengaged from the G. L. MCMULLEN.

